"Everything. I love Miss Bruce."
"Oh, yes; I forgot that. Anything else? There is, now. I see it in your
eye. What is it?"
"Sir Charles's estates are mine by right, and they will return to my
line if he does not marry and have issue."
"Oh, I see. That is so like a man. It's always love, and something more
important, with you. Well, give me your address. I'll write if I want
you."
"Highly flattered," said Bassett, ironically-wrote his address and left
her.
Miss Somerset then sat down and wrote:
"DEAR SIR CHARLES--please call here, I want to speak to you.
yours respecfuly,
"RHODA SOMERSET."
Sir Charles obeyed this missive, and the lady received him with a
gracious and smiling manner, all put on and catlike. She talked with
him of indifferent things for more than an hour, still watching to see
if he would tell her of his own accord.
When she was quite sure he would not, she said,
"Do you know there's a ridiculous report about that you are going to be
married?"
"Indeed!"
"They even tell her name--Miss Bruce. Do you know the girl?"
"Yes."
"Is she pretty?"
"Very."
"Modest?"
"As an angel."
"And are you going to marry her?"
"Yes."
"Then you are a villain."
"The deuce I am!"
"You are, to abandon a woman who has sacrificed all for you.
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